Anyone completing the dosha test questionnaire could be forgiven for assuming that dietary and lifestyle recommendations, as well as a tendency to suffer from certain health problems, would be more or less standard for a particular body type. One might for example say, “I’m a Pitta dosha so why am I suffering from Kapha dosha symptoms?” or “Why isn’t a recommended dosha specific Ayurvedic diet agreeing with me?”
It might be helpful to consider the way a country is governed. Let’s imagine that there are three parties, but one is elected with a large majority. For better or worse, there is likely to be a considerable degree of stability. But what happens when the majority is too small for any one party to take the initiative? Sometimes the parties, or at least two of them, will join together and share in decision making. One party might take help from another, or there might be a lot of argument. Either way, stability is affected.
So with doshic influences, there can be unlimited permutations and combinations at any given time. The degree of influence of a given dosha can vary throughout life, due to dietary, lifestyle and environmental issues.
For example, Vata can be aggravated creating a Vata imbalance even if you are not a Vata body type.
It is therefore clear that a careful analysis needs to be carried out by an experienced practitioner before practical advice can be given. We need to establish what factors are involved in the aggravation so as to prescribe the appropriate Ayurvedic herbs. The advice will no doubt vary from time to time, but the end result is always likely to be a good state of balance.